Q: What 3 things do you always have in your fridge and why?

Feta cheese, spinach and bacon. I can make so many different snacks and meals with those three ingredients in winter or summer.

Milk - essential for a cappucino. Black Olives - because they can be used in so many things. Cheese - because let’s face it, it’s just so good!

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Cheese, it’s so versatile. Butter because it’s natural and I don’t like margarine type spreads. I always have free range eggs. All you need is bread to make a lot of quick easy meals.

The three essentials in my fridge are beer, a cold glass for it to go in, and white wine. Why? Rhetorical question really....

Setting record straight

It’s important we set the record straight about the [Wellington City] Council’s proposed community facilities plan.

In your front-pagestory [20 July], Onslow Community Residents Association president Lawrence Collingbourne claimed a number of community facilities face possible

75+ Groups at an Open Home? YIP!

Hey Everyone! What a crazy week of Real Estate. With the buyer market, picking that the ‘bottom of the market’ has passed, every buyer who has been ‘waiting for prices to fall & buy’ is entering the market and it has caused a bit of a frenzy in the first home market. We even had 75+ groups of people attend the first open homes of two properties. As a result of competition, prices have jumped up significantly, in some cases up to 15% more than what similar properties were selling for start of this year. Traditionally this would be a typical ‘early sign’ of market growth to come… but is this sustainable? Here are a few points you should consider:

: The spike in demand is likely due to the ‘back log’ of buyers. Since the turn in the market, the number of transactions dramatically dropped. Which meant that a lot of people put their buying plans on hold. Typically, they were simply waiting for prices to fall before buying. So, the spike in demand may dissipate once the back-log clears.

: Buyer affordability is still hampered by high interest rates; it would simply make no sense for prices to climb rapidly whilst interest rates have recently gone up again.

: Yes, inflation is down, but it is still at 6% and in some areas, things are still getting worse. The cost-of-living crisis continues. The average home buyer is still feeling the affordability pinch, so there isn’t the disposable income to throw at property at present.

: The media are always delayed, when they report on the ‘better market conditions’, it will draw sellers/agents, who may not be following the market closely, into putting their house on the market ‘in spring’ when the sun is shining, and flowers are blooming. There were a lot of sellers who were also ‘waiting’, and although current stock levels are low, we are seeing the number of houses coming to market climbing and enquiries to sell is high. More supply will dilute demand.

: Most of the ‘advice’ that was given during the boom by financial institutions, was to fix half your mortgage 1 year and another half 2 years. We saw the impact of the market in 2022, when the low 2.X%, 1-year mortgages expired. We saw a flurry of houses come to market. The real pinch will happen in the next few months when most of the 2-year mortgages end and homeowners will be facing double/ triple mortgage repayments.

Throw in elections into the mix and the rest of 2023 is going to be full of disruption and changes. It is now more important than ever to be strategic with your property decisions.

Whether you are buying or renting, you need to analyse the facts, question the narrative, and logically work on a business plan that puts your family in the best financial position.

If you want to discuss how you can strategically position your plans, get in touch, love to help! Have a great week everyone.

The first thing I always have is milk as I can’t drink black coffee. Next most important - butter and cheese. I totally ADORE cheese and couldn’t live without it and butter is used for many things, so I find it essential!

1. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables for the children’s school lunches,

2. A bottle of bubbles in case a friend stops by, closure.

3. A stash of chocolate for an afternoon sugar fix.

This is not accurate.

The proposed plan looks at the provision of facilities across Wellington over the next 30 years and covers everything from libraries and pools to community and recreation centres, public toilets and leased community facilities.

Many of the Council’s own facilities are getting old and we will need to invest carefully to ensure our spaces are fit for purpose.

With a growing population, a review is timely if we are to make good decisions on where money should be spent over the next three decades.

Mr Collingbourne insinuated the Khandallah Town Hall, Khandallah Library, Nairnville Rec Centre and Khandallah Pool are under threat of closure.

In the case of the Town Hall, library and rec centre, this is simply not true.

The proposed rebuild of Khandallah Pool

Massaging history

Your article on the completion of the Ngaio Gorge slip repair [“Independent Herald” 29 June] was true as far as it went, and has certainly been welcome, but it didn’t quite tell the whole story.

In the interests of historical accuracy I note that the original slips occurred in July 2017, so the good people of the northern suburbs have been inconvenienced for six is a more challenging prospect, and this is no secret.

The pool has significant site resilience and vulnerability challenges.A full community working group report is required before a decision is made on the rebuild.

The proposed plan does not mean sites will close or new facilities will be built. The Council would never make changes like that without thorough investigation and community engagement.

That’s why we are eager to hear what Wellingtonians think about their community facilities and about the proposed plan.

Lots of information is available online [https://www.letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/ wellingtons-community-facilities], and we’re keen to get submissions and opinions by 7 August.

Cr Teri O’Neill,

years, not just the less than three implied in your article.

Also, I consider the job finished when it is completed and since the lights have yet to be turned on, it’s not “job done”!

It’s quite eerie travelling in that part of the Gorge in the dark much like our ancestors did.

Viv Chapple